Industrial Feedstocks
The industrial sector is pivotal in decarbonization efforts and transition to the use of hydrogen as a feedstock or for fuel switching is increasingly recognised as an essential part of the reduction of our reliance on fossil fuels in industry.
The UK Government’s Net Zero Strategy indicated that up to 500TWh of low carbon hydrogen generation would be needed to reach net zero by 2050, with a major proportion being directed to industrial feed and fuel switching. Recent analysis through the UK industrial decarbonisation challenge, particularly through the South Wales Industrial Cluster has confirmed the increasing importance of hydrogen in making the transition from fossil fuel-based production and achieving net zero industry.
Core industries such as steel manufacture have traditionally relied heavily on fossil fuels, resulting in a high carbon footprint. Alongside electrification and CCUS, hydrogen offers a pathway to steel decarbonization by substituting hydrogen for coal as the means to reducing iron ore, or replacing natural gas for heating processes, drastically reducing carbon emissions. Numerous other industries, large or small can also switch from fossil fuel process heating toward hydrogen, particularly for high temperature processes.
Hydrogen, together with captured CO2 also offers potential for a radical reshaping of the chemical industry and the development of sustainable processes to manufacture high value platform chemicals, displacing fossil fuels and reducing carbon emissions. Alongside this, the decarbonisation of the energy sector will not only rely on massive deployment of renewable production, but on the use of hydrogen for long duration energy storage and dispatchable power production.
Achieving these goals will require innovation and technological advancement. GW SHIFT will enable further close engagement between academics and industry to conduct impactful research to ensure hydrogen-based processes play a pivotal role in mitigating climate change and advancing towards a low-carbon economy.
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